2002c230coupe

I am going car hunting this weekend for a solid clk550 I am looking at a 2007 and a couple of 2008 clk550's i am interested in. I am asking the sellers for the vin number before meeting up so i can check for any recalls.

Whats the best way to do this? I hear theres a transmission problem and a camshaft issue possible on the 550. Do I just ask the dealership of any known problems?

Yidney

Ge a 2008 an you are good. 2007 post the VIN here and people can tell you if its in the range for the gear issue.

Yidney

Saw your post on the VIN forum. Odds are the car would never develop the problem, but the price difference for an '08 is small enough it's not worth the risk. Plus you get 18" wheels on the '08, you probably will have a tire pressure system that was optional in '07, and a sports suspension that was also optional in '07.

Yidney

Also, you should do your homework on options, etc. I thought it was weird that xenon headlights were an option in a $70,000 dollar car, but they were. There are lots of 550s out there with regular headlights.

2002c230coupe

Thanks Yidney

I am still searching for the right car. I also did some research on more recalls\common issues and I heard about the camshaft solenoid problem?

So aside from the balance shaft issue, there is also this camshaft solenoid to think about. What kind of work is involved in replacing this part? I quickly did a google search and it should be a cheap part to replace.

Yidney

I assume you mean cam position sensor? That's not really a problem, that's just a thing that needs to be replaced at some point.

2002c230coupe

Thanks again

Yeah, unfortunately, these cars are relatively rare on the market. Its hard to find a decent clk.

I am considering a like new clk 350 2007 hard top. It is in excellent condition, and not affected by the balance shaft issue. My only concern is if theres any transmission issues.

I think the best way to approach this is to just commit to the car, enjoy it, and just pay for things as they come up, instead of agonizing over potential problems.

Yidney

The hard tops suffer from a serious design flaw. Some fool decided to put a hard top on them.

2002c230coupe

haha touche, thanks for all the help btw